Bathroom of the Week: Parisian Sophistication in a Chicago Condo
A design-build firm helps a homeowner bring her French-inspired vision of marble, antiqued mirror and brass to life
Chicago homeowner Jennee Rommel loves all things elegant and French. Unfortunately, nothing in her condo’s primary bathroom suited her love of Parisian hotel bathrooms. “I knew the existing bathroom had to go. It was very basic beige and was not my flavor at all,” she says. She had a strong idea of what her flavor was: a sophisticated combination of marble, antiqued mirror and brass. She also had a firm must-have list, which included a freestanding soaking tub, a steam shower with body jets and more storage and display space. When she was ready to begin, she called design-build firm Drury Design to help her bring her vision to life.
After: Rommel’s jumping-off point was complete confidence that she wanted real Calacatta gold marble, not marble-like porcelain or quartz. While thinking about the renovation, two hotel stays made her completely sure of her decision.
“I stayed at a hotel in Nashville that had the porcelain version, and it was nice, but then I went to Paris and stayed at a beautiful hotel and saw the real marble,” says Rommel, who is a physician. “It was very beautiful and very French and I knew I had to have it.”
“Jennee came back from Paris with photos and videos and lots of ideas,” Schanstra says. “She was excited about making the investment in her bathroom. It’s really helpful when clients know the direction that they want to go and are passionate about a space.”
When it came to using marble in this bathroom, more was more. The floor and wainscoting are composed of Calacatta Gold marble tiles, and the vanity countertop is a Calacatta Gold marble slab. The backsplash tile is a marble mosaic with brass inlay. Schanstra notes that they used an anti-etch treatment on the countertop to protect it.
The next choices involved the vanity, which has an espresso stain. Rommel knew she wanted strong contrast to all that marble. “The rest of my home has strong contrast from dark wood floors,” she says. The open style left more room for marble to show underneath and behind it. The drawer pulls are crystal.
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“I stayed at a hotel in Nashville that had the porcelain version, and it was nice, but then I went to Paris and stayed at a beautiful hotel and saw the real marble,” says Rommel, who is a physician. “It was very beautiful and very French and I knew I had to have it.”
“Jennee came back from Paris with photos and videos and lots of ideas,” Schanstra says. “She was excited about making the investment in her bathroom. It’s really helpful when clients know the direction that they want to go and are passionate about a space.”
When it came to using marble in this bathroom, more was more. The floor and wainscoting are composed of Calacatta Gold marble tiles, and the vanity countertop is a Calacatta Gold marble slab. The backsplash tile is a marble mosaic with brass inlay. Schanstra notes that they used an anti-etch treatment on the countertop to protect it.
The next choices involved the vanity, which has an espresso stain. Rommel knew she wanted strong contrast to all that marble. “The rest of my home has strong contrast from dark wood floors,” she says. The open style left more room for marble to show underneath and behind it. The drawer pulls are crystal.
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The star of the room is the backsplash. It’s a marble mosaic tile with brass inlay in a stunning Art Deco pattern. “I like to leave the door to the bathroom open so that I can admire this wall from my bedroom,” Rommel says. “It really is more like a piece of art than a backsplash.”
The brass inlay picks up the gold tones in the marble’s veining. Brass plumbing fixtures work beautifully with the brass in the backsplash tile.
Backsplash tile: Nadja in honed Calacatta Oro and brushed brass, Atelier collection, Mosaïque Surface
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The brass inlay picks up the gold tones in the marble’s veining. Brass plumbing fixtures work beautifully with the brass in the backsplash tile.
Backsplash tile: Nadja in honed Calacatta Oro and brushed brass, Atelier collection, Mosaïque Surface
Browse bathroom faucets in the Houzz Shop
Increased storage and display space were also priorities. The build team at Drury Design installed two recessed medicine cabinets with integrated lighting and electrical outlets inside. The inside of the doors and the backs of the cabinets are also mirrored. Rommel went for minimalist style on the mirrors so as not to distract from the Art Deco pattern of the backsplash wall.
She also had the design-build firm install niches on the walls that flank the vanity. This gave her a chance to bring the slabs of marble up onto the walls and to display some of her favorite French finds. These include pretty handmade perfume bottles she found in Èze, a mountaintop town in the south of France, and crystal butterflies. She also included some favorite gold-plated roses she had in her collection.
She also had the design-build firm install niches on the walls that flank the vanity. This gave her a chance to bring the slabs of marble up onto the walls and to display some of her favorite French finds. These include pretty handmade perfume bottles she found in Èze, a mountaintop town in the south of France, and crystal butterflies. She also included some favorite gold-plated roses she had in her collection.
Rommel approached the lighting the same way she approached the mirrors — going minimalist so as not to distract from the Art Deco tile pattern. “I wanted something simple and a little industrial,” she says. The finish plays off the brass inlay in the tiles, while the clear hurricanes keep the view of the backsplash open.
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Find a local tile professional
This niche contains a lighted makeup mirror. “I thought about hiding this in one of the medicine cabinets, but I really like it here,” Rommel says. “It left me more room for storage in the medicine cabinet. It also has a really nice glow at night that brings out the beauty of the marble.”
Rommel also thought about how to create a cohesive feel between her bedroom and her bathroom. The bedroom’s headboard wall has a beautiful grasscloth-like paint treatment. “This treatment is multilayered,” Rommel says. “It took the man who created it three or four days so that each layer could set.”
Rommel had the artisan, a multitalented carpenter on the Drury Design team, create the same treatment on the walls that flank the bathtub. “This wall treatment is just the coolest thing,” she says. “It looks like a wallpaper and it glitters and sparkles. There’s a little rose gold, a little silver and it picks up on the veins in the Calacatta marble. I really like to mix metals, and the rest of my house has a mix of metals.”
After: Rommel replaced the drop-in bathtub with a sculptural freestanding model worthy of a swanky Parisian hotel room. “I had them put it on a marble platform to give it a grand presence,” she says.
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Shop for a bathtub
Rommel sensed that a chandelier would make the tub alcove feel smaller, so she opted for a flush-mount light fixture. “I love the way this one reflects the light around,” she says.
A special mirrored piece over the tub also reflects light, while also adding depth to the space and serving as art. “I love antiqued mirror, and during my trip to Paris I saw antiqued mirror everywhere,” Rommel says. “It makes a space look bigger and it reflects things I like in the room.”
The Drury team brought her vision to life by crafting a frame around a composition of antiqued mirror tiles.
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A special mirrored piece over the tub also reflects light, while also adding depth to the space and serving as art. “I love antiqued mirror, and during my trip to Paris I saw antiqued mirror everywhere,” Rommel says. “It makes a space look bigger and it reflects things I like in the room.”
The Drury team brought her vision to life by crafting a frame around a composition of antiqued mirror tiles.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The shower is a steam shower with body jets. The accent piece behind the jets and main shower head is a marble slab framed in marble trim pieces.
The bathroom has heated floors. The shower bench and shower floor are also heated.
Heating system: WarmlyYours
The bathroom has heated floors. The shower bench and shower floor are also heated.
Heating system: WarmlyYours
Rommel also used the marble slabs on this shower niche, a shower bench and the threshold.
“My favorite thing about the bathroom is a tough call between the steam shower and the bathtub,” she says. “I love that I can go in the shower and have my own space while my daughter takes a luxurious bath and has the time of her life.”
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“My favorite thing about the bathroom is a tough call between the steam shower and the bathtub,” she says. “I love that I can go in the shower and have my own space while my daughter takes a luxurious bath and has the time of her life.”
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Shop for your bathroom
Bathroom at a Glance
Who lives here: Jennee Rommel and her young daughter
Size: 127 square feet (12 square meters)
Location: Chicago
Design-build firm: Drury Design
Before: The existing bathroom functioned just fine, but the finishes weren’t at all appealing to a homeowner who appreciated natural stone and a little bit of bling. Designer Diana Burton worked closely with Rommel, and creative director and designer Gladys Schanstra oversaw the project.